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(NoModeL) G.H.MORGAN.

Railway Crossing. No.238,517

Patented March 8,1881;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. MORGAN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

RAI LWAY-CROSSING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,517, dated March 8,1881.

Application filed December 6, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the county of Washington and District ofColumbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailway-Crossings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved railway-crossing,adapted both to horse-railway tracks and steam-railways, whereby thecars are enabled to easily and noiselessly pass over the same, avoidingthe jarring and'hammering incident to the construotions now in commonuse; and the invention consists, essentially, of a central frame formedof reversed sections of common railway-rails, arranged with thetread setinwardly toward the center, the width of said frame being narrower thanthe intersecting portions of the track, which are tapering and curved atthe corners in order to direct the inside face of the wheels of the caralong the tread of the central frame during their passage over thecrossing, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointedout in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my completeinvention, and Fig. 2 a perspective detail view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in both figures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the side timbers or stringers oftwo intersecting railway-tracks, at the central part of which Iconstruct a square frame or track, B, which is formed of sections ofcommon railway-rails, fitted together with the raised tread a of thesame turned inwardly, and the corners of the railsbeingslightlycurvedorrounded,as shown at b.

C represents the intersecting rails of the main tracks, which have theirtreads a turned outwardly, as in the usual manner, and the ends ofwhich, where they join each other at right angles, constructed so as totaper downward toward each corner 0, where they are curved or rounded,as shown.

My invention may be formed entirely of the (No model.)

common railway rails, fitted together and jointed, so as to present afirm and durable construction; but for the sake of economy andconvenience the intersecting corners of the main and central tracks Band C may be cast or formed in one piece or section, as shown in Fig. 2,whereby the whole construction can be readily formed and put together.

In the operation of my invention it will be readily seen that as the carpasses over the crossing the tapering corners at one side of the trackgive the wheels sufficient momentum to pass smoothly and easily over thecrossing and up the tapering corners of the opposite side on the maintrack, the inner faces of the wheels fitting smoothly against theflanges of the central frame or track, B, during their passage over thecrossing.

It will also be observed that as the wheels are about to leave the maintrack the front inside parts thereof are diverted, by means of therounded corners I) 0, against the central track, thereby enabling thewheels to adapt themselves to the track without hammering or jarring.

By means of my invention the passage of the car over the crossing isrendered almost noiseless, and the wear and tear upon the track androlling stock consequently obviated.

I am aware of the patents to J. E. Ridgway, under date of February 23,1869, No. 87,293, and to WV. WVharton, Jr., dated January 21, 1879, No.211,607, and do not wish to claim the construction shown therein; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and usefulis- 1. A railway-crossin g composed of the rails B, having their treadsreturned inwardly to form the central track,and the rails C, havingtheir flanges a turned outwardly to form the main track, theintersecting corners c of which are tapered and curved, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

2. In a railroad-crossing the rails C, tapered and curved at their endsto form an inclined intersecting track, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. MORGAN.

Witnesses:

PARKER H. SWEET, J r., LLOYD KELEHER.

